Tuesday, December 23, 2008

MacGregor had a project due last Thursday on the Northwest Coastal Indians, fishing and whaling. I think he did an outstanding job. He used a lot of things we had at home but we did buy a few things like green playdough and a "Toob" of indians. We had the whale and canoe at home but we had lost our indians from when Chase did a project like this. Gregor used toothpicks to make the spear and fish roasting rack. He used a mesh bag (that had play coins in it) to create the "weir" to stop the fish flowing down stream. We cut some pieces off of our real Christmas tree to create the forest. He cut out paper fish. He used clay to make the totem pole in which he incorporates a fish and an eagle. Chase helped on the eagle. In fact, Chase was helping a little too much and MacGregor was getting frustrated and saying..."This is MY project Chase." I told Chase he needed to be asked to help first. Incidentally, MacGregor said his was the "best" project (I'm sure there was no bias there) and that everyone in his class crowded around to see it. There certainly was a lot to see.

Front:

River:Ocean - Whaling... whale pushing up through the waves and getting speared.Back:

Here is his report:

Fishing and Whaling

By MacGregor Henrichsen

The Northwest Coastal Indians fished a lot.They used many tools like herring rakes, stone traps and dip nets.The hooks on their fishing poles were made of wood or bone.They would also use basket traps.Weirs are fences that go across the river so the fish can’t get by.The fish think they can jump it but before they do the Indians would spear them.They caught a lot of things like salmon, whales, seals, otters, clams, oysters, octopi, mussels, herring, codfish, halibut, shellfish, abalone, sea lions and limpets.

The Northwest Coastal Indians also went whaling.They went whaling because they needed oil from the whales’ brains.They used this oil to light their fires.Some Indians thought it was too hard to go whaling so they caught candle fish because they have oil too.They would use harpoons and spears to catch the whales.The spears were 18 feet long with sealskin floats. The blade was made out of mussel shell.That’s how the Northwest Coastal Indians went fishing and whaling.

Monday, December 15, 2008

As I you can see, I haven't had time to post much these days, so this will be simple. These are pictures of some of the fun activities we did at Cedar Crest. Besides the animal area, the ducky races, and the bull riding, we also slid down the GIANT slide. There was a tube slide made of giant irrigation pipes and this open slide. The walk up the hill was grueling but the ride was worth it.

I thought I was going to pull Piper right over into my lane. We were going fast and I was sort of afraid for her life. But by the time we got to the bottom we were all smiles.

The Strasburg Railroad is only 3 miles up the road. It runs right thru Cherry Crest. We couldn't ride it from there but it sure was fun to watch it go by. We did get to take wagon rides pulled by a tractor. That was Pipers favorite part. We rode in little individual wagons all in a chain. When the ride came to an end, Piper did not want to get out of her wagon. She said, "Again Again".

We also got to use Giant slingshots to shoot mini pumpkins and tennis balls up a hill at hanging targets. We got to pan for gold in a makeshift river. The kids found arrowheads and fools gold and amethyst bits etc... There was a hay tunnel for the little ones that I had to crawl thru on my hands and knees following Piper (otherwise I was afraid she'd never come out) There were peddle carts on a track - like go carts but had peddles.

We loved riding the stick horses!!

There were also these GIANT jumping things. Like a trampoline but they come right out of the ground and slope around like half of a beach ball. They were so fun and much safer than a tramp that you can fall off of. They had a smaller firmer one for little ones but Piper didn't really want to stay on that one... it figures.

Then - The corn maze it self. It was very fun. Took us an hour but there were lots of stops inside with trivia and slides and rope obstacles. The theme this year was GO GREEN. All the trivia was related to alternative energy. It was great. There was an article in the paper shortly after we went. I'll try to to scan it in later.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

I've been meaning to post this. For Veterans' Day, Chase's class sent Daniel homemade cards. He hung many of them up on his wall along with artwork from our own kids. He literally has wall paper made from Ainsley's drawings and cards received. I imagine his room is among the most cheerful places on the base, which can be very monotone and drab.

He wrote a wonderful thank you letter to Chase's class and I wanted all of you to read it too.

Dear Class,

I want to thank all of you for making my day. All the cards and letters were very uplifting and helped me to have a great Veteran's Day. I want to let you know that the things that you write in your letters and cards really make a difference in the life and attitude of the soldiers that receive them. It certainly was a very pleasant surprise to receive such a large envelope full of well wishes. I have hung many of the cards on my wall along with some artwork from my children. These reminders help me to feel happy when I am so far from home and family. They really help me to remember that there are great people who love and support me in the great work I am doing. I will give an update on how everything is going over here in Iraq. I am located in the desert in the western portions of Iraq. Control of the area was recently given to the Iraqis and overall things are going very well. There really isn't much going on in the way of insurgency or warring. The hospital has not been seeing many war casualties at all (I am happy about that). Our mission is clear, but I feel that this war is really coming to an end (which I believe is good for everyone). Let me just say that I am proud to serve my country in the military. I am a better person for serving the country which has provided me with the greatest opportunities for success. The freedom that we enjoy today was paid for by brave, loyal, dedicated and committed young men and women in years past. Thank you again for thinking of me and providing me with moral support.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Back on October 31st, the kids had off school. My parents were still here and we were looking for a corn maze to go through. We ended up finding this place online and it was only about 25mins away. They have a giant 5 acre corn maze but so much more as well. We only had a few hours but you could easily spend all day there. We decided we need to make it an annual event. For those who come visit us between July and October, lets add this to the itinerary!

We began in their animal section. I think we could have spent all day there but had to leave after an hour or so in order to have time to do all the other things. My favorite thing was the goats. I just love goats. They had teeny tiny baby ones, mid-sized ones and BIG ones. They also had goat food for sale at a quarter a pop. I think we must have spent $5.00 on goat food. It was so fun to feed them. Piper loved it too. They also had a big ramp the goats could walk up that led to a cat walk high above our heads. You could put the food in a little cup and spin the wheel which moved a little conveyor belt up to the cat walk. The goats would run up there and catch the spilling contents of the cup as it turned the corner and headed back down. The kids LOVED spinning the wheel - it was like driving a boat and the great thing about goats is that they eat EVERYTHING. Besides the goat food, the kids were putting potato chips, grass and fallen leaves in the cup. And the goats ate them all.

They also had sheep, pigs, bunnies and chickens. This little guy had found a hole in his fence and was letting us know that he could come out if he wanted to.

There was also a house of peeps. Just born peeps, some still in eggs under the warming lights. Piper and Ainsley could have stayed all day in there. I was a bit nervous letting these wildly excited girls hold a new born baby anything, let alone something as delicate as a chick, but for the most part they did very well.

Here's gentle Chase, cuddling it in the palms of his hands.

And here's Ainsley. While I am smiling at her and taking this picture I am thinking

- "Please don't kill that baby bird!"

Not all the animals we played with that day were alive. We also spent sometime on a bull. It was fun but hard to hang on, just ask my mom.

We also played with duckies - of the rubber persuasion. In this game each person had a water pump at the top of their track. The rubber ducky sat at the top in a dry track. Each person had to begin pumping their well to get water to wash their ducky down the track and across the finish line.

We really lucked out with the weather this day too. Very warm and sunny for Oct 31st. Because it was a Friday a lot of the other districts were NOT off school, so we lucked out that way as well. We didn't have to wait in line for anything. We only had about 4 hours to spend there but could have stayed much much longer. I'll post the other activities we did in another post.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

I've been really bad at getting posts up lately. (I've been just a little busy.) But I must just post a little about my SUPER MOM!!

DECEMBER 2nd - HAPPY BIRTHDAY

MOM!!

Her birthday experience this year took place half way around the world only one day after arriving in South Africa. Luckily our friends in the church are like family and they had flowers, a cake and a "market" basket waiting (they don't do bags at the stores). She was also taken out for dinner to an Italian restaurant. (I guess some food is world wide).

We missed her here though. Mamaw is the BEST. She is sweet, loving, generous, and most of all - FUN. She genuinely loves people and does her best to show that love always. She gives of her time to anyone in need even when it's not convenient. I want to be like her and I often think of how she would handle a situation.

Brinn gave birth to a baby girl yesterday that will always share her Mamaw's birthday. Camilla Ann Rogers was born at 10:42am. 6 pounds 14 ounces. 19 inches long. Mommy and Baby are doing well.

I certainly wished I had taken more pictures when Mom and Dad were with us, but I just get caught up in living and forget to grab a camera and capture the moment. These were a few moments I did catch in the month before she left.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I have been thinking about assembling a List of things that I am thankful for and publishing it for some time now, but I would like to make some qualifications prior to everyone reading and acknowledging it. It (the list), by no means, is a comprehensive, or an all-inclusive list. It's just a list of things that have crossed my mind this Thanksgiving.I am grateful to be alive and well today. I am thankful for the knowledge and witness of an all powerful and merciful God who sent his Only Begotten Son to conquer death and sin and establish a way for the imperfect (including myself) to become perfected to a point where there can be a mutual dwelling. So grateful I am for prayer. I have felt the power that comes from prayers offered on my behalf which not only have uplifted and inspired me, but have kept me safe and protected in times of peril and danger. Thank you to all who have offered thoughts and words of prayer in my behalf. Probably one of the things for which I am most thankful, and which occupies my thoughts and prayers daily is my beautiful and loving wife, Brittney. Lady, you are (I know that I have said this in other places, but it is absolutely true) the best thing that has ever happened to me. I thank God for you everyday of my life. Thank you for the Love, which you so freely give me, for the support and direction, which you unselfishly offer me, and the purpose which you provide for my life. You are the Best! Gratitude fills my heart for my children and the happiness they make me feel. I am so blessed am grateful to have parents who loved and provided for me and tried to teach me the right way to live. Thank you for your counsel, support and love. I am thankful that my sister Emily and her husband J live near my family and me. They are a blessing to us. I'm grateful for family and friends who care for me and look after my family while I am away. I am thankful to live in a free country and to have the opportunity to be educated and fulfill my dreams. I'm so thankful for those who sacrificed what they had so that this country could be what it is today. I am grateful for my partners at Conestoga OMS and for the great individuals they are. I feel very lucky to have great staff and assistants to work with as well. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives and for dealing with my quirks. I am grateful for hot pecan pie and pralines and cream ice-cream (yum). Chase, Maco, Ainsley and Piper thanks for making me smile and giving me happiness that lasts forever. I love and miss you so. I am thankful for a wonderful relationship with my wife's parents. They have affected our lives (Britt's and mine) for good and have always been of great support. I am thankful for the ability to fish and be surrounded by the beauty of this great Earth. I'm grateful for my home and for the fact that it won't be long until I return to its comforting confines. I am thankful for the scriptures, the priesthood, the Holy Spirit and the instruction, the stewardship and the answers that they bring. I feel a great deal of gratitude to the Lord for giving me the opportunity in the past of working with Young Men in the Lancaster 3rd Ward. Thank you for enriching my life with your greatness. I am grateful for those who take time to validate my posts by leaving messages. I am even grateful for those who do not as well. I am thankful for Thanksgiving. Again, let me remind you that this is not an all-inclusive list, because there truly would not be enough room to express my gratitude for all things. I am thankful for YOU. Take Care, and be good!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Her Daddy's post was so touching and I can't really compete with the sentiment of that, but I can show him some of the highlights of the day. I am so sad he is missing this time in which she changes so rapidly. But he is right when he says she brings a smile to everyone's face. She is the most pleasant baby, fun and happy, social and caring. She's certainly one of a kind and I am so glad to experience life with her.

Blowing out her two candles. She blew them out all by herself. I should have put three of them on because when you ask her how old she is she says - 3 old. They're always in a hurry to grow up, aren't they?

We had lots of fun with party hats.!

Sometimes 2... do I look like a medieval princess or a bull?

The whole gang!

Em and J hosted dinner at their house. It was great! I had had an extremely busy weekend with a Primary Activity Day which included practice for our program on Saturday. Saturday night I had shopping and a sharing time to prepare. Sunday we woke early to get to church near 8 am to get ready for our performance. It was AWESOME. All the kids did so well, except Ainsley who would not say her part. She and the Sunbeams. Oh Well maybe next year. She knew it by heart, said it everyday for me at home.

Anyway - after a busy weekend I was glad to go somewhere else for dinner. I think the kids were too.

She got a beautiful card from her Daddy. Chase read it to her and she listened to every word. It got me all choked up.

She got some new piggy jammies. I was surprised that she was so happy about them. She said, "Oh NightyNight. Pigs." She wanted them unwrapped and tags off immediately.Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Roy sent her a cute picnic set with a little radio. She loved it!!She also got a Mrs. Potato Head. She had lots of fun putting purses, high heels and "crazy eyes" on her potato.She also got some helium balloons which included Elmo. I wished my video camera had been on when saw them. She started bouncing them around like they were punching balloons and her hair was completely full of static but she had the biggest smile.

Overall I think it was a super fun birthday. The only thing that would have been better was if her Daddy could have been here too.

Little One, it now has been two wonderful years since you officially came into my life. I am so sorry that life has now made it so that I have not physically been there for two of your three birthdays during that time. Every time I see you I have a special feeling in my heart and it always makes me smile. You have the talent of making me laugh and filling my life with happiness. As you eat cake and ice cream today I want you to know that your Daddy is thinking of you and hoping you feel great and that you feel all the love I have for you. I can't believe you are already two years old. Growing up to fast you are. I look forward to being reunited with you soon and having some special time together, reading books, playing with toys, running around the house and of course...fishing. I hope that our journey through this life never has us apart again for your birthday when you are a child. You are so precious and you really complete our family. I wish you the happiest Birthday! I love and miss you so much, Piper. You are such a fantastic baby (little girl)! See you soon, little one.Daddy